These are the adventures of Andy and Sally Rawnsley on their narrowboat "The Puzzler". We have been living on the boat for over eight years now and are still loving it. Our Ulster born Shih Tzu, Shannon, has grown up, and has taken over the boat! After three wonderful years in Ireland, we transported The Puzzler to The Netherlands, and spent a year there. In 2015 we went southwards, to reach the north of France by June. After glorious weather throughout the summer, we arrived in Roanne in late October, and enjoyed our winter in this friendly port. We cruised extensively in France in 2016, returning to Roanne for a second winter.

Sunday, 17 August 2014

11th - 14th August. On along the Middelsee Route.

The weather has been very windy, but eventually we could move on along the Middelsee route to moor near to the village of Wjelsryp. Dutch pronunciation is difficult, but we could not even try this one!

The Middelsee route winds its way through the old salt marsh area of the former Middelsee. There are a great many Friesian cattle in this part of Friesland.

This part of the route was only opened up in 2005, by raising or replacing bridges, such as this one.

Often it is difficult to see which way the canal goes, as we approach a corner.

This bridge on the corner was one to be taken very slowly indeed!

We followed the Middelsee route to Scharnegoutum, near Sneek, finding new friends there, in this sheltered harbour.

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About Me

We have made wooden jigsaws for a living for over 20 years and have also cruised extensively on the UK inland waterways. In 2003 we bought a new narrowboat shell and spent the next 18 months fitting her out in Norfolk. We named her The Puzzler and launched in June 2005.
We retired in April 2009 and have been living on the boat since then.
Having cruised nearly all the rivers and canals of England and Wales we were then looking for waters new, so in 2011 we transported The Puzzler to Ireland. We stayed on the Irish Waterways for three happy years, then in April 2014 moved The Puzzler on to The Netherlands. We enjoyed a year's cruising there, and overwintered in Schagen, in North Holland. In spring 2015 we sailed south into France, and are now enjoying everything that this fine country has to offer. We have made Roanne our winter base.